The Two Whos

Every year at this time, Cece goes on a rant encouraging all her friends to prompt their loved ones to get their annual mammogram screening.  Please do it.  It can literally be a life and death matter.  Cece had her mammogram recently and went to a mobile mammogram site because her insurance contracts with them. It was a huge RV!  It was an interesting adventure!  She asked a lot of questions once inside and found out the mobile lab travels around the State!   She also learned that if you do not have insurance,  you can get a grant to have a free mammogram.  So do not let lack of insurance stop you if this situation applies to you.

We understand that being touched and maneuvered by a stranger to get the screening can be embarrassing and uncomfortable…but just get it done.  Bring a friend.  Reward yourself afterward if it is hard to do…but do it.

To put a light hearted spin on this topic, the Two Whos present this YouTube Video called ” The Pink Glove Dance.”    The various departments at this  hospital got together to produce their segment of this video in their  “pink gloves.”    We hope that you will enjoy this video and that it will prompt you to take action.  September begins the push toward breast cancer awareness month so let us begin to take action and get it  done now.

Remember, this blog has joined the Army of Women (see side bar) and have committed to devote the October 1st blog to cancer awareness.

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos

Family practices  can be very powerful tools to carry on traditions from one generation to the other.  So it was with a family tradition in Cece’s home.

Each time her mother  baked a chicken, who ever found the wish bone got to hang it up to dry and then got to chose another person to break it with.  To break it meant that each person would hold the wish bone in their pinky finger and on command, they would pull.  Whoever got the bigger end, would make a silent wish.

Cece has been collecting wish bones for probably over 20 years!    She has them hanging up in her kitchen.  She forgets they are there until a new friend will come over and notice all those bones hanging up!  She has to explain and tell the story.

She has been saving these wish bones until she thought she had enough.  She was waiting until she felt the wishes and prayers would be so abundant that whatever the wish or the prayer…the universe would surely respond!

Last week, she  finally gave them to her friend and his wife as they went off for cancer treatment in  Houston.  The wishbones  hold in them many spoken and many unbroken wishes and prayers for recovery from cancer.  She passed then on so that they could  make a wish, say a prayer or send up positive energy  into the universe…for healing and strength and so they could pull on the energy of those that have passed on….for their strength and courage to guide then through their  process.

So, as you read this…please add your own wishes and prayers to the wishes and prayers that Cece  and Yun are  sending…along with the certain hope for recovery.

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos

Yun’s birthday/post-ride party was tremendous fun!  Later, after all had gone, Yun sat down and began to look through the cards people had brought for her birthday and she began to  open up her gifts.   In doing so, she came upon this card.   It is from their Team in Training teammate,  Emmy.   The card  made both The Whos Laugh Out Loud!

About The Mid-Week  Symphony: Since Wednesday is hump day, we have decided to take this moment  and have a bit of down time from the writing.  Each Wednesday, we would like to bring you a symphony of ideas, a harmony of thoughts, beauty, silliness and all things that make the fullness of life.  When we started this blog we wanted it to reflect our entire personalities and interests..and that means yes…. Cece loves  the Far Side Cows and Yun loves the mumble jumble philosophical books.   Yun and Cece have many varied interests and we would like to share some of them with you each Wednesday.

Steve Jobs, creator of the Apple computer and Pixar animation films, gives an inspiring speech at the 2005 Stanford University graduation ceremony about “dropping out” and “dropping in” to life. He encourages his audience, as they get ready to start their careers, to do what brings joy and meaning to their lives rather than to live someone else’s dream.

Such a message is powerful to embody: How do we  live a purposeful and meaningful life?  ; How do we hold onto a bigger perspective and faith in the mist of loss and difficulties?  ; How do we  not  let the ‘norm’ or ‘common sense’ age us into a rut?  He says, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” In  other words, let our heart stay young and passionate.

“The route really isn’t that hard except for the climbing!” Clyde Wilkins

When you have a cycling team of 25 people, with a median age of about 45, you are sure to have many definitions of success.  For some, success may mean making it to the event, then riding  a happy  30 miles and then partying the rest of the way home!  To others it may mean “Hey!  If I have  a heart problem,  I am gonna push through it.  If you need my nitro, it  is located…in this pocket  For real?  For real. And to some others it may mean riding 100+ miles right before you begin another round of chemo.

Cece was honored to see many various versions of success  from the LLS Team in Training team supporting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society this past weekend.  The ride  was America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe.  She  was driving the support vehicle as she tried to channel Johan Bruyneel.” To enter a race, it’s important to have clear objectives, which must be communicated clearly to the team and each individual rider.”  She  worked to learn the goals of each rider.  Her job was to help them achieve their goals

In the process of achieving their individual goals, they also met their corporate goal of raising money to fund cancer research.  All the cyclists at the event, together raised over 8 million dollars!  It was important to hear the names of individual doctors who received research grants through LLS.  Their research was identified.  It made the fundraising more tangible.

The night before the ride, our coach gave us each a personalized letter, telling us his cancer had returned.  Many of us knew this already, but some did not.  Cece found a team mate walking around dazed with tears welling up in her eyes.  She approached her and asked her what was wrong.  They hugged and the woman sobbed so hard Cece could not understand a word she said.  Cece asked for clarification.  She told her through her sobs about the letter and that she had no idea his cancer had returned.  They hugged each other and they both cried a river of tears, because this is just why they ride…to find a cure so that not one more person has to have a diagnosis of cancer.  And this is what we call

Companioning Success!